Seven local tourism projects across Georgia land state grants →

Oct 31, 2019, 6:00am EDT

Two craft breweries are among seven tourist development projects across Georgia receiving the latest tourism promotion grants from the state Department of Economic Development.

The Grey Ghost Brewing Co. in Conyers and the Freight & Rail Brewing Co. in Calhoun will share $64,000 in grants with the five other recipients.

The other 2020 grant winners include the Athens Downtown Development Authority, which is designing an Athens Music Walk of Fame; the Georgia Writer's Museum in Putnam County; a historic tour being developed in downtown Norcross; a brochure put together by the Development Authority of McDuffie County to accompany self-guided tours of local churches, and an agritourism project in Tifton focusing on Georgia-grown cotton.

"The addition of new tourism product can completely transform a community and create lasting economic growth by spurring job creation, attracting new investment and providing residents with an improved quality of life," said Pat Wilson, Georgia's commissioner of economic development. "I applaud each of these projects and community leaders for seeing the value that tourism can bring."

Explore Georgia, the tourism office within Wilson's agency, offers the grants to communities that participate in the department's Tourism Product Development Resource Team program. The resource team works with local political and business leaders to evaluate each community's potential for tourism growth and tailor projects that fit its unique cultural and historical assets.

"Funding is the greatest need for these projects to get off the ground," said Lisa Love, interim deputy commissioner for Explore Georgia. "We are proud to have this program to assist communities with implementing new product that will drive visitors and expand their local tourism industry."

By Dave Williams – Staff Writer, Atlanta Business Chronicle